Extreme Couponing? Can you do it?

There is a lot of buzz about extereme couponing where these people go into stores with hundreds of coupons and walk out the door with virtually paying a few dollars for hundreds of dollars in groceries. Most of us don't have the time nor the will power to make a haul like that.

Coupons are very important and should be taken advantage of. You need to be smart about using them and make sure that they are truly giving you a better price. An example of this was on yogurt last week. I had a coupon for 3 yogurts for $2.00. However, the generic brand was 59 cents. If I would have used the coupon, I wouldn't have saved the 23 cents by just buying generic.

Coupons really come in handy when going out to eat and using services. Groupon and Living Social are good sites to check out and maybe save a little money. Also, don't throw away those coupons that come in the mail. Look through them and you may be surprised at what treasures you may find inside.

Low Income? Talk to your Utility Companies!

Sometimes money can be tight or you could be on a fixed budget, such as unemployment, alimony, or Social Security as your only source of income. If this is your situation, you should call your local utlity company to see if you can qualify for some type of assistance program. It is best to do this before you get into trouble with the ulitity company with late payment of bills. If you are a senior citizen, make sure to mention this as well. Proof of income may be required, so be prepared to show documentation when you apply for the special programs. Every little bit helps!